Lilith Thorn Interview

Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

I didn’t have an imaginary friend, though I wish I had. My son did for a bit, when he was two. She was older and he called her Haycee. She lived down the street from us. Eventually he killed her off in a tornado. It’s possible this child may have a future in dramatic story writing.

Do you have any phobias?

It’s not really a phobia. I just don’t like snakes. Oddly my fear of them comes from a dream I had around the time I was 13. I’ve been working on getting past my mistrust of these creatures. I don’t run screaming anymore and have been able to touch a few, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.

Do you listen to music when you're writing?

It depends on the day. It’s usually pretty quiet around here, so turning on music can really disturb the vibe or alert the littles that I’m doing something that’s worthy of investigation. If I’m alone then yes I will. It keeps me company and can set the mood while working.

Do you ever read your stories out loud?

Yes! To myself mostly. Sometimes I have a voice that I write in and reading it out loud helps me hear the tone better. Reading out loud also helps to give a new perspective on flow or give new context to the words chosen.

Tell us about your main character and who inspired him/her.

Niamh is a woman trapped. She’s an historical character who married well, on paper. Sadly, her husband is a dark figure who treats her as a play thing rather than a respected partner. She gains confidence after she meets Caleb and begins to blossom into the young woman she should have been had it not been for her marriage.

I’ve had a few people believe that Niamh’s story is my own. Which paints my husband in a very poor light. The Becoming and Niamh are built entirely on imagination. I’m not even sure where she came from or how the story began to form. Usually it comes from conversation, something I’ve heard or seen, and I begin to wonder what I would do in that situation. Eventually characters are born and a situation for them to work through takes shape around them. This is probably the first story that I’ve written that has longevity. That I really believe I can build on and create new places for them to explore.